大象传媒

From Bridgewater Hall, Manchester
Presented by Linton Stephens

Alma and Gustav Mahler provide the inspiration for the works that bookend the programme. Shortly after Gustav's death in 1911, his wife Alma began an affair with the Expressionist painter Oskar Kokoshka and his painting, "Die Windsbraut" (The Bride of the Wind), portrays Alma and Oskar in bed together, she sleeping peacefully, he lying awake with worry. Alissa Firsova takes the painting as a starting point for her piece, creating music which depicts this powerful image as well as the turbulence of their relationship and their love. Ending the concert is Gustav's First Symphony. Privately he revealed that it was inspired by a failed love affair with a singer and although he became increasingly wary of revealing a programme behind his work, his quotations from his "Songs of a Wayfarer" provide a definitive link on this occasion. The sounds of the forest coming to life, the folk-song inspired melodies and ground-breaking use of orchestral colour combine in music which remains new to this day. A decade after Mahler penned that Symphony in a state of emotional chaos, Edward Elgar was orchestrating the five songs that make up his "Sea Pictures" for performance at the Norwich Festival; contralto Jess Dandy joins the orchestra for a performance of one of Elgar's best known works. In "Haven" the second song, he sets words by his wife, Alice: "Joy, sea-swept, may fade today; love alone will stay."

Alissa Firsova: Die Windsbraut
Elgar: Sea Pictures

Music Interval (CD)
Schumann: Waldszenen
Leon McCawley (piano)

8.30pm
Mahler: Symphony No.1

Jess Dandy (contralto)
大象传媒 Philharmonic
Gemma New (conductor)